


Sisters

by Zangster



Series: Music, Medicine, and Money [1]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Akko cameo if you squint, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aunt-Niece Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Modern AU, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Redemption, Sister-Sister Relationship, Strong Language, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 14:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18284465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zangster/pseuds/Zangster
Summary: It was a disease. Unstoppable. Incurable. In another world, it would've taken the life of someone important.Not in this world.None of those things stop Daryl Cavendish. In order to save her sister's life, Daryl does everything in her power to do the impossible. And maybe, in the process, atone for her own mistakes and find forgiveness. A story of family, love, and will.Sort of a prequel to The Audit.





	Sisters

_ “Come on, Daryl!” shouted Bernadette as the two children ran in the fields toward their manor. The younger girl, however, could barely keep up with her older sister. _

_ Daryl Cavendish heaved as the rain began to prick her face. Her and her sister heard about the warnings from their parents, but they still ran out too far. Now, rain, thunder, and darkness covered the sunny fields. Daryl tried to focus on the upcoming slope, but her soaked hair began whipping around her head, covering her eyes. As she tried to pull it away, she tripped on her foot and tumbled down the hill. Grass, mud, water, and cold battered the poor seven-year-old as she screamed the whole way. The world snapped from the gray skies to the cold, green ground, over and over again until she finally laid flat at the foot of the hill, laughing. While she waited for her lungs to refill and the world to stop spinning, her sister’s face appeared. _

_ “Are you okay?” she asked with worry, her hair and head shielding Daryl from the oncoming rain. _

_ “I just...need a moment,” wheezed Daryl through her smiles. _

_ “You don’t have a moment! If you stay out here for too long, you’ll get sick!” said Bernadette, already trying to pull her younger sister up. “And if you get sick, who will I play with?” _

_ The two shared a laugh before Daryl finally regained her strength. She brushed the hair out of her eyes before realizing Bernadette was already running away. _

_ “Detta! Wait for me!” _

_ Daryl dashed as fast as she could without slipping, yet no matter how hard she ran, Bernadette remained out of her grasp. Her older sister made it to the door before her, most likely taking the initial scolding for tracking mud and water into the house. Right as the door closed, Daryl tore it back open. _

* * *

The door swung open, booming through the hall. Twenty-eight-year-old Daryl Cavendish frightened all of the nearby servants in the entrance hall. Her peacoat was soaked, her makeup was running, and water was dripping and forming a puddle around her. Still, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail and a flash of lightning behind her, her ice-blue eyes glowed with anger.

“Where is she?”

“Miss Daryl, please-”

“ _ Where is she?! _ ” she asked with a growl, moving to take off her coat and shoes.

“Miss Bernadette is in her bedroom-”

Daryl already stormed off before the servant could pester her any more. The halls, while different from her apartment in the city, brought her a sense of nostalgia and comfort, yet it did little to soothe the turmoil in her stomach. Every footstep brought her more and more into the moment, calming the fury and adrenaline. Her sister didn’t need all of that.

Bernadette didn’t even look up when Daryl entered the room. The younger sister noted the medical equipment around the bed, filling the room with steady hums and beeps. Fortunately, Bernadette looked no worse for wear, but Daryl learned how to see through illusions a long time ago.

“How long have you been like this?” asked Daryl, pulling up a chair to sit on the side of the bed.

“Barely a week,” said Bernadette, her voice missing a little of its usual comfort. “It was right after one rather long operation. By the time I finally got my gloves and mask off, I collapsed, or so I was told.”

“I told you to take a break,” said Daryl, annoyance beginning to form. “The doctors know how to do their jobs. Let them take over while you rest. Overworking yourself isn’t gonna help your patients.”

Bernadette looked at her younger sister with a weak smile. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Do I have waste more of my money to hire guards just to keep you here?” asked Daryl with a smirk.

“Probably no more than you’ve already wasted on yourself,” she fired back.

“So you’re just gonna ignore all the donations I made to the Cavendish Medical Foundation?”

“I look at my stockholders. You’re one of them. Technically, you’re just funding your own growth as well.”

Daryl cursed. “I never should have taught you economics.”

The two sisters shared a laugh before the somber mood refilled the room.

“I’m serious though. You need to rest.”

“People need me.”

“Your  _ daughter _ needs you as well. The more time you spend with them, the less time you’ll have with her. Who is more important?”

Daryl inwardly winced at her wording, but she knew it had to be said. Her elder sister, if anything, was stubborn. When she set her mind to anything, she always followed through, no matter what harm came to her. It didn’t help that she also refused to say no to anybody in need, so if Daryl left her alone for too long, she’d accumulate a line longer than her Terms and Conditions for her accounting firm. Besides, gut punches worked on her, so logically, it would work on her sister as well.

“That girl was the same age as Diana,” said Bernadette, looking directly into Daryl’s eyes with softness. “She...she was born with a weak heart, yet she still had so much energy. She never stopped smiling because she said it would worry her parents.” Her shaking hands gripped her sheets. “To go through such a traumatic experience...at such a young age...with such bravery, and to wake up with a smile and ask where I was…”

Daryl grabbed her sister’s hand with a sigh. Of course it was a little girl that wormed her way into her sister’s frail heart. 

“Alright. I get it. Just…” Daryl brought her hands and her sister’s to her forehead. “Please rest. Stay alive, Detta. I have to get back to work, and I can’t do if I have to worry about you overworking yourself.”

Bernadette smiled at the rare sight of Daryl’s vulnerability and trust. “No promises. Besides, I decided to save the girl instead of another businessman, so I still have another operation.”

“I checked that, actually,” said Daryl, pulling out a file from her bag. “Mr. Bridges, despite mistreating his wife, has actually left his money to her if he dies, and he  _ does _ have life insurance, so…” she trailed off with an evil smirk.

“Daryl!”

“I didn’t say anything,” she said, innocence taking over.

“I swear, don’t joke around like…” Bernadette trailed off, eyeing the ground. “You’re dripping water.”

Daryl face paled. “Anna’s gonna kill me.”

* * *

_ Bernadette and Daryl screamed at the top of their lungs in joy as Arthur’s truck shot down the highway, ponytails and long locks flying in the wind. Arthur laughed at his girlfriend and her younger sister’s antics while his friend, Paul, gripped onto the roof handle for dear life. The four were returning from a party, and Arthur offered to take the girls back home. That didn’t stop the two from riding in the back and causing dozens of noise complaints. As the car finally slowed down and circled the driveway, the two sisters slid down with a laugh. _

_ “That was probably the most fun I’ve had all year,” said Bernadette, breathing in the cool, night air. _

_ “We coulda had more fun if we stayed longer, ya know?” said Daryl, jumping out of the truck and stumbling before she regained her balance. _

_ “No can do, ladies,” said Arthur, helping Bernadette climb down from the truck bed. “I promised your parents over the phone that I’d bring you two back before midnight, and I intend to hold true on that promise.” _

_ “Starting to wish you added ‘safely’ to that promise,” said Paul, glad to be out of that deathtrap of the car. “We could’ve died!” _

_ “But ya didn’t!” slurred Daryl, slapping him on the shoulder. “I swear, death can’t take you because ya would broker some contract out of it!” _

_ “Daryl?” giggled Bernadette. “You’re drunk.” _

_ “Not drunk,” she said with a sway and a smile. “Smashed.” _

_ Arthur and Bernadette each took a hold of Daryl’s arms before bringing her toward the front door. _

_ “Hey Paul?” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “You’re a cool guy. I might ask you for some favors down the line.” _

_ “Oh god, I hope not. Otherwise, I’d have to learn emotional manipulation.” _

_ With a kiss goodnight, Arthur and Paul bid the two Cavendish sisters farewell, leaving Bernadette to try and explain to Anna that Daryl was just sleeping and not passed-out-drunk. _

* * *

 

“If I had to be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t asked for a favor sooner,” said Paul Hambridge. Daryl was surprised. While the years were not good for his looks, they were good to his demeanor. A sense of coldness and wisdom behind his glasses had taken place. His posture was stiff, his gaze was piercing, and expression was hardened. It took the laughter of his son, Andrew, her daughters, and her niece to snap her back to reality.

“Straight to the point, huh? Guess some things never change.”

“I was under the impression that time was something you didn’t have, Ms. Cavendish.”

“Alright then,” she said with a sigh. “In short, I need money. Lots of it. I’ve already exhausted my personal savings, and I’ve taken as much as I can from my own firm without collapsing it. Grants, loans, anything to help fund the research.”

Somehow, the light in his glasses hid his eyes, and Daryl couldn’t read his expression. She thought she was ready for every scenario: disbelief, laughter, anger, fury. All of those she could handle. But this...this silence...it scared her more for some reason, like falling into a void where one’s past sins slowly creep into the mind. Right as she was about to break the silence, he began to pull out documents.

For hours, the two conducted business and discussion. Although they spoke, it never felt like she was actually speaking to Paul Hambridge. The only reminders of him were his ruthless words and cutthroat practices, all legal, of course. Despite her own knowledge and experience, Paul managed to find loopholes and sources of money that matched Daryl’s expected requirements just barely. By the end, the sun was setting, and the two adults looked much less professional than when they started out.

“The only real downside about this is that I’ll have to sell a good number of the family heirlooms. Detta’s gonna be pissed, but she’s dying, so I think I have a good enough excuse,” sighed Daryl, flopping back into the couch.

“I know a guy. Calls himself The Proprietor. He’ll get you a good price,” said Paul, cleaning his glasses before moving to gather his documents. There was a beat of silence between them before Daryl spoke.

“Thank you. This...I cannot even begin to describe how this will help,” said Daryl, beginning to clean up as well.

“You can help by doing me a favor.” Paul stacked his papers and folders evenly before throwing them down.

“Where were you when Arthur was dying?”

It was if she had a mental car crash. Her body froze, but her mind kept flying, trying to find an appropriate answer. She wanted to explain she was there. At the funeral. In the aftermath, comforting her sister and her niece. Before she had to leave shortly after, leaving behind her own daughters in an emptier manor. She wanted to explain her past obligations. The fallout from her divorce. Finding something to fill the void in her life. Trying to support Cavendish Medical’s financial crisis.

But she wasn’t there when her brother-in-law died.

She wasn’t there to watch his body wither away, life and energy slowly seeped from his soul before death finally claimed him.

She wasn’t there to support her sister during one of the worst experiences of her life.

Daryl Cavendish realized she did not have a good answer.

Paul, ever perceptive, saw the turmoil in her eyes, but decided to press further.

“Even after all he and Bernadette did for you, after all the mistakes you made, they still saw something worth saving. Yet Arthur,  _ my best friend _ , died without an ounce of support from you. Only now, when  _ your sister  _ finally starts suffering from the same condition, are you here.”

It wasn’t a period Daryl liked thinking about. Running off with some sleezy but rich man, renouncing the ideas and traditions of the Cavendish name, even cursing her sister as she ran out the door...

_ “Under your leadership, you’ll crash the whole legacy to the ground! And when you come crawling to me, I’ll be standing there laughing.” _

_ “Look at goodie-two-shoes Bernie, always bending over backwards to save every fucking piece of shit! I don’t need you! You’ll only bring me down!” _

_ “Fuck the Cavendish name, fuck mom and dad, fuck the legacy, and most importantly, FUCK YOU!” _

...only to show up years later with no money and carrying twins. The fact that Bernadette and Arthur didn’t even hesitate to open their doors only seemed to amplify the pain.

“You’ve made your point, Hambridge,” she snapped with a waver in her voice and tears in her eyes. “Thank you for your support. Now get the  _ fuck _ out of my sister’s manor.”

* * *

 

_ “All I’m saying is that if you keep prices this low, Cavendish Medical isn’t gonna survive for much longer,” said Daryl, going through her sister’s documents. “As noble as passion and selflessness is, it doesn’t pay the bills.” _

_ “And you’re thinking too linearly,” said Bernadette, turning her laptop. “You always forget about donations and connections.” _

_ “Maybe because the last time I tried that, I ended with a scum-sucking ba-” _

_ Bernadette flicked Daryl’s head, gesturing to the three toddlers playing nearby. _

_ “...bad guy who scammed me out of my inheritance and left me for some model.” _

_ “But you did get the twins from him...and all that child support money…” _

_ Daryl smiled fondly at the memory of his bewildered face in the courtroom. _

_ “Damn right. ” _

_ Another flick. _

_ “Well, unlike you, my dear sister, I am an excellent judge of character,” spoke Bernadette with a hand on her heart and an overly sweet tone...well, sweeter than usual. _

_ “Oh yeah? Prove it,” said Daryl said with a smirk. _

_ “Look at the recipient of this email.” _

_ “...Cra...Cro...Croix...Croix Merides?! The CEO of MagiTech?!” _

_ Daryl practically shoved her face into the laptop to make sure she wasn’t misreading anything. _

_ “Not just her,” said Bernadette, pointing to the performance on the TV screen that little Diana and the Twins were currently obsessed with. _

_ “Is that...Chariot Du Nord?” _

_ “Indeed. She’s already done multiple performances and concerts as a charity for us. Between our equipment coming from MagiTech and publicity coming from Shiny Chariot, I’d say we’re in a good spot.” _

_ Daryl surrendered with a sigh and a smile, sliding off the couch before slithering next to her daughters, gathering both of them as they squealed and she sat them on each lap. Bernadette joined her sister, scooping Diana up and giving her a twirl before sitting down. _

_ “Mommy! Can you do that?” asked Merrill. _

_ “Please, mommy?” asked Maril. _

_ The twins looked at her with puppy eyes, taking down Daryl’s resolve twice as fast. While Daryl spun in a circle, a twin on each arm, Diana excitedly pointed at the TV. _

_ “Mommy! Can we please go see Shiny Chariot? Please?” begged Diana, practically vibrating with happiness. _

_ Bernadette pretended to think long and hard about it, only serving to make Diana even more antsy. _

_ “Only on one condition.” _

_ “What is it? I’ll help!” _

_ “You have...to survive… the ticklemonster!” _

_ Bernadette roared as she began to poke Diana’s sides, causing the toddler to squeal with laughter. Suddenly, the twins detached from their ride and rushed to their cousin’s aid. Before they knew it, it was an all out tickle-fight. Sisters and mothers vs daughters and nieces. A battle for the ages. Pillows were thrown. Laughter filled the air. Destruction was, surprisingly, minimized. Servants avoided the room for safety. _

_ Only when Bernadette and Daryl laid on the ground with their respective daughters snoring on top of them was the battle over. The girls were held close as the adults themselves began to drift off. _

_ “I’ve been working on a project,” whispered Daryl. _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “Yeah. I’m...I’m not like you. I’m not as selfless, and I don’t think I can do this whole charity thing.” _

_ “But you’ve been doing great. All of the contracts, all of the finances, we’ve been flourishing with your help.” _

_ “And that’s exactly why I have to separate. I want to have a bit more freedom, actually earn some cash for once.” _

_ Bernadette looked at her sister darkly. _

_ “Not like that. Beatrix knows I’m not going down that path again. No...I’m gonna make an accounting firm. Manage finances, help those who are down on their luck while trying to screw-over people who put them there in the first place.” _

_ Bernadette smiled at her sister’s words. Well, half of them. Despite all she tried to deny it, there was selflessness trying to manifest itself in any way possible. She gently grabbed one of Daryl’s hands, holding it between them and their daughters. _

_ “I’ll help you, okay? You’re gonna do great.” _

_ Daryl flashed her a small, subtle smile. _

_ “Thank you, Detta.” _

_ “I think Paul might be willing to help you.” _

* * *

 

“That wretched mother fucker!” screamed Daryl after she reread the clause that almost signed all of her wealth away to Hambridge Bank, which smugly had the line  _ ‘Made you look,’ _ written under it. “I’m gonna stab that smug son of a-”

“Auntie Daryl?”

Daryl quickly put away her rage and adopted an innocent, if not painfully forced, smile. The bags around her eyes and slouched posture didn’t help.

“Hi Diana.”

She turned to see the little 6-year-old clutching her stuffed bear close to her. She shouldn’t have been surprised since it was in the middle of the day, but she expected her to be with her mother. Still, she needed a break, and maybe her niece would help her.

“Is mommy going to be okay?”

Well, fuck.

“Daddy went through the same thing. He tried to play with me but always got tired. He played less...and less...until he couldn’t play at all...then...he left,” Diana hiccupped. “I...I don’t want mommy to leave too.”

“Oh, Diana,” said Daryl, pulling her niece close. That was step one. Step two was to reassure her.

Step two lacked planning.

“I...I can’t promise anything...but there are a few things I know for certain.”

Despite Diana cocking her head in confusion, Daryl continued.

“Your mom is stubborn. She’ll keep fighting to stay alive and be with you for as long as she can. And me? I will  _ never _ give up until I’ve done all I can. If I have to scour the world to find a cure, I will.”

“No matter how much it hurts you?” asked Diana. Daryl looked at her niece, who gently rubbed the scabbed paper cuts on her aunt’s hand. “Mommy says that she sees you hurting. She says that she sees you tearing yourself apart, and it makes her sad.”

“Do you know what those words mean?” asked Daryl, her inner mind trying to process what she just heard.

“I tried to look in a dictionary, but there were too many words…” said Diana. “But if it hurts, why are you doing it? You’ve been hurt before.”

“I...I…” Daryl was at a standstill. She didn’t doubt that Detta put her daughter up to this, but the 6-year-old was surprisingly perceptive for her age. There was no avoiding her. She would have to face this head on.

“Do you know what love is?” asked Daryl.

“Is it that feeling when your chest feels all warm and happy?”

Daryl laughed at the innocent response. “Partially true. Love...love is subjective...I mean, it can have different meanings depending on the person. To me, love is putting others before yourself. Love is helping someone else before helping yourself, no matter what they’ve done in the past. Do you know who taught me that?”

Diana shook her head.

“Your mother did. Your mother...did more for me than I could ever repay. I was...in a very bad place, and I had no hope, but Bernadette, your mother, she helped me even though I was mean to her.”

“You were mean to her once?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” said Daryl, voice laced with melancholy and guilt. “She...I didn’t deserve her help, her love. She deserves the world, and the world has given her an incurable illness, so the job falls to me.”

Daryl wiped the tear forming in her eye.

“It’s not fair,” she croaked. “She’s the brilliant one. She’s smart, loyal, compassionate, caring, loving. She’s not greedy, cruel, hurtful, dumb. If anyone should’ve gotten the illness, it should’ve been me. I never deserved her love, and no matter how much I try now, I know I never will. Minus the twins and you, she’s all I have left...”

Daryl was fully crying at this point, letting the tears and the mistakes she made flow out after months of bottling.

“If saving her life only costs mine, so be it.”

Daryl finally broke down into sobbing, letting all the guilt, stress, and frustration out. She loved her sister, and to see her slowly grow weaker and weaker was tearing her apart. Even worse, nothing she seemed to do mattered. Every research avenue yielded no results. Information trails only lead to dead end after dead end. Even with the support of MagiTech, she still had no information on how to cure the illness.

Suddenly, she felt not one, but three pairs of hands on sides. Her daughters and niece were all embracing her, even as she soaked them in tears. It only seemed to make her cry harder. Slowly, the trio of girls led the sobbing adult to a nearby couch, laying her down before climbing on top and hugging her. Daryl felt warm. Her sobs were starting to subside, and to have her daughters and niece around her, she felt…

Loved.

“Don’t be sad, mommy,” said Maril.

“We’re here for you,” said Merrill.

“And we want to help,” said Diana, gesturing to a wagon filled with toys and dresses. “We know you’re trying to sell stuff for money, so we gathered our things that you can sell.”

Daryl nearly went into another sobbing fit and crushed the girls tight.

“Oh, you silly, silly girls. I appreciate it, but that’ll never be enough money.”

“Mightily ironic, coming from the silliest girl in the room right now.”

The four looked to to see Bernadette in the room with a cane to support her. Her skin was paler and her posture was weaker, but her eyes still carried the same warmth. The same love. She hobbled over before…

Flicking Daryl in the head.

“You don’t have to earn my love. In fact, you never had to,” said Bernadette, clutching her sister’s hands close. “No matter what you do, where you go, my love for you has always been there and always will, just like your love for me.”

Rendered speechless, Daryl tried to refuse, but only came out with stutters.

“No buts. You told me to not to overwork myself because my daughter needs me. Your daughters need you too, and Diana needs her aunt. It...it hurts to see you suffering as well, so please. Don’t go too hard on yourself. I already lost one family member, and I cannot lose another.”

Daryl knew when she was beat, so she just nodded and surrendered.

“Alright. No more putting myself in danger.”

* * *

 

If she was being fair, there were more dangerous places than the Philippines. Many places also had malaria, dengue, typhoid, hepatitis-

Daryl shook her head, ignoring all the research she had done prior. Sure, she could’ve worn pants and long sleeves to cover herself from mosquitos, but it was swelteringly hot. Between her hat, short shorts, and traveler’s vest, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Still, this is the closest she’s been in a long time. After getting a tip from one of Bernadette’s patients about some magic witch in the Philippines, she booked a flight before she even packed. Now, after a fourteen hour flight, a litany of boat rides, and a lot of haggling (she’ll put those skills to good use back home), she was finally at her destination. She walked up the driveway to an open-air workshop of sorts. Each table was covered in countless vials containing who knows what. Whiteboards and cork boards covered in notes and scribbles surrounded the middle. In the midst of all the organized chaos, a women with mauve hair stood hunched over something.

“Excuse me-”

Daryl was interrupted by a rather large explosion of purple fumes.

“Great. Gonna have to start all over,” the women said, standing straight up before facing Daryl, her hair covering her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Are you Mayari Manbavaran? The Witch Doctor?”

“Who’s asking? And I hate that nickname. Discredits the chemistry I actually do.” said Mayari, already moving to clean up and prepare her next experiment. “Actually, you know what, that doesn’t matter. Why are you here?”

“My sister. She has an illness-”

“So does everyone else here. Get in line,” she dismissed.

Alright. Words are useless here. Time for action.

Before Mayari could do anything else, Daryl slammed a file in front of her. It was all the details she had managed to gather about Bernadette’s illness. Maybe that would get her attention.

Unless she couldn’t read English. She really had to start thinking these things through.

Fortunately, Mayari’s eyes lit up after reading the initial paragraph.

“This is-”

“The same illness you’ve been trying to fight in your community. Everyone says it’s incurable, but my sources says that you’ve got the closest thing to a cure.”

“No...not a cure,” said Mayari, continuing to flip through the notes. “Treatment of the symptoms, yes, but not a full cure. Not yet. I was working on that before you came here, and you saw what happened.”

The image of Bernadette combusting put an uneasy feeling in Daryl’s stomach. Still, it was nothing compared to her predictions. Bernadette’s body had gotten frailer and frailer. Her skin had almost shrunk to her bones, her eyesight had grown poor, and her very life energy was fading. Daryl was out of time.

“Then we have no time to waste. You’re the closest I have to a treatment, and I need you to come with me.”

“And why should I? What’s in it for me?”

Daryl smirked. Business deal. Perfect.

“All expenses and lodging will be taken care of and any future funding for any material you need.”

“You’re gonna have to do better than that,” said Mayari, crossing her arms.

“All that on top of a large some of money.”

“Tempting, but I need something more permanent.”

“Do you have any family? Children?”

The moment Mayari faltered, Daryl inwardly cheered. Family trick always worked.

“...I have 3 daughters.”

“While I have nothing but respect for the local colleges here, I can sponsor them in my home country, which has some of the most world-renowned facilities in the world.”

She could’ve sworn she saw eyes widen behind her hair.

“And I’ll pay for all of their tuition.”

Mayari’s face remained frozen, but her hands were already gathering documents and organizing items for travel. She gestured toward a couple objects and a bag, so Daryl moved to help her. The two worked in silence before Mayari finally broke it.

“I never officially became a doctor,” the women said, her back turned. “My methods, as you know, are unorthodox...mocked...looked down upon by the larger medical community. Nothing I ever published had any backing, so it was quickly shot down. The only people who seemed to appreciate what I did were the locals here. If you can get my daughters up there...with those connections...they’ll be able to do what I never could.”

A small pang in Daryl’s heart reminded her of her own past. Granted, Mayari did much better than she did, yet still ended up with a bad hand. Breathing in and mentally flipping off the world, Daryl spoke.

“I can add that to the list. Official backing from one of the biggest medical groups in the world.”

“And how could  _ you _ do that?”

“Because my name is Daryl Cavendish.”

A shatter of glass.

“...You know, if you lead with that, we could’ve saved a lot of time.”

Daryl nearly screamed that she was the one who said it didn’t matter, but she was just happy to see something in not just Mayari’s brown-red eyes, but her own heart as well.

Hope.

* * *

 

The pieces were in place. State-of-the-art equipment from MagiTech. Mayari Manbavaran at the helm. A year’s worth of income and research into this disease. All that was left was to wait.

For Diana, it was one of the most nerve wrecking experiences she had to go through. The surgery could spell life or death for her mother. There was despair, but there was also a glimmer of hope.

For the twins, the nerves were still there, but to a much lesser degree. Certainly worried, yes, but they didn’t know as much about their aunt’s condition as Diana did. Their minds, however, were focused on someone else.

For Daryl, it was the most helpless she had felt since she started this crusade. She would think that after a year of running around the world and scrutinizing every detail, she would be happy to sit back and let others do the work. This was the opposite case. Daryl knew she couldn’t help anymore. She wasn’t a doctor or an engineer. All she could do was put faith into the people that were working now. Still, it didn’t help soothe her nerves.

What did help was the days worth of exhaustion finally catching up with her. With all three girls around her, she fell asleep in one of the private overnight rooms. Surprisingly, no dreams or nightmares invaded her sleep. Daryl slept like a rock, and the three bundles of warmth and love only soothed her soul more.

Yet nothing.

Nothing.

Could have healed her more than waking up and seeing her sister smiling with life once again.

Except for the first three words she spoke.

“Thank you, Daryl.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest: This was very fun to write, but it took me forever to get to it. I feel like Daryl served her purpose in the anime as an antagonist, but I wanted to see if that same spirit could've been channeled into something greater. Over 5k words later, many dropped subplots, and inward wincing over "How do I emotion?", you get this fic.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading this! If possible, please leave a comment. Not only does it help inspire me more, but I want to hear any and all feedback. I'm trying to improve as a writer, and I figured the only way is to keep writing and critiquing what I do right and what I do wrong.


End file.
